Smokeless fuel.



4"screened and graded Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS 'WEEPLE, OF OAKLAND, NE'W JERSEY.

SMOKELESS FUEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,783, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed June 3, 1903. Serial No.159,9 9. (No specimens.)

5 State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Smokeless Fuel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a process of producing smokeless fuel from carbonaceous sub- IO stances, by which I am able to produce a clearburning fuel of high caloric value which burns freely Without emitting black smoke and which yields a very small percentage of ash.

According to my invention I employa sim- I 5 ple method of treating such carbonaceous substances as bituminous coal, coal-dust, oil residue, and the like as will produce a fuel that will burn free from black smoke during the process of combustion, while at the same time retaining all its caloric properties, thus making the fuel especially available for domestic and steam purposes.

I take the crude coal as it comes from the mines and pass it through a breaker or 5 other apparatus by which the largest lumps of coal are reduced to sizes not exceeding the size known commercially as egg-coal. The resulting product is now passed through a series of grading-screens, which mechanically 3 separate the mass into the several commercial sizes known as egg, stove, chestnut, and pea coal for domestic and steam purposes. The line dust obtained by the screening and grading of the coal is utilized in the manufacture of l2l1i 1 1 1ets a suitable binder be1 n empl oyed, the proportions, by weight,

ne percent. of coal-du t i sod.

TIlQClIHTIL After having the mass, either separately or collectively, is depo a treating tankior receptac'il pacity and construction, said tank being preferably equipped with suitable heating appliclaiiifas a wb ndl ances, such as devices for utilizing the heat present in steam and hot air. The mass of coal in the tank is covered by or submerged in water supplied to the tank, and the water is heated to a boiling temperature by the steam heating appliances. The mass or charge of coal is thus subjected to a boiling process, which is the important step of my in vention, and during this step in the treatment of the coal, which may continue from eight to ten hours, more or less, the mass undergoes a chemical reaction, becomes dehiscent, and yields up the volatile and other impurities of the product, the same being held in suspension and solution by the liquid-bath. The water is now drawn off from the charge by emptying the tank, and the purified coal is subsequently and thoroughly dried by the application of steam heat or hot air while it remains in the tank, after which the treated charge is discharged from the tank in a suitable Way, the product being commercial coal.

I have discovered that the treatment of coal in the manner described secures a chemical change in the condition of the product, such change resulting in the cracking or disintegration of the coal and the liberation of the deleterious volatile matter which in the process of combustion evolves black smoke.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The method herein described of producing smokeless fuel, which consists of boiling soft coal in water, whereby the mass becomes dehiscent and deleterious volatile matters are eliminated.

2. The method herein described of producing smokeless fuel, which consists in boiling soft coal in water, and subsequently drying the coal.

3. The method herein described of producing smokeless fuel, which consists in charging a tank with a mass of soft coal, and immersing the coal in Water, boiling the charge of soft coal for a predetermined length of time,

separating the water and the coal, and finally drying the coal by the application of heat.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeiiicatlon 1n the presence of two su bscribing witnesses.

THOMAS W EEPLE. Witnesses:

ABRAM G. MoNoMnn, BRAINARD W. JOHNSON. 

